I think there are some Maytagers out there that are going to the love this article on the Introduction of Maytag's 160 All Pushbutton Washer!
One Button Does the Wash
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One of my favorite Maytag washers. Seeing it as a kid on the Beverly Hillbillies set, I just knew that washer had to be the pinnacle of washing machine luxury!
Beautiful Set!
As a kid I thought the washer on Beverly Hillbillies was just a prototype! I had never seen one in person!
Was the push button dryer in the works for Maytag when the washer was introduced. I have always wondered why Maytag did not introduce them as a set.
As a kid I thought the washer on Beverly Hillbillies was just a prototype! I had never seen one in person!
Was the push button dryer in the works for Maytag when the washer was introduced. I have always wondered why Maytag did not introduce them as a set.
Still on my Tag list.
I wonder the same thing now that I've taken the automatic dryers apart and realized that the pushbutton automatics had almost identical controls as the dial models. In some ways they're simpler.
I wonder the same thing now that I've taken the automatic dryers apart and realized that the pushbutton automatics had almost identical controls as the dial models. In some ways they're simpler.
Great article, but have always felt the single pushbutton Maytag was bested by Kenmore. The '59 and '60 Lady Kenmores sported single pushbuttons with far more cycle flexibility and an infinite water level selector. Add to that timed bleach/fabric softener/detergent dispensers and self-cleaning filters.
"I really find the ingenuity of electro-mechanical appliances to be much more impressive and ahead of their time than anything that involves a microchip."
I call bullshit on this one, Matt. You can bet your life engineers looked forward to the day Rube Goldbergian electromechanicals could be tossed in favor of sleek, inexpensive microchips. Electromechanical controls are fine for nostalgia, but I wouldn't want to live in a world that resembles the film Brazil; a microchip-less horror with its ungainly, sprawling electromechanical devices.
"Give me a well made microchip any day," he said, posting to a forum on the internet with his iPad from an orchestra pit. God, I love the 21st century!
[this post was last edited: 11/3/2014-18:15]
"I really find the ingenuity of electro-mechanical appliances to be much more impressive and ahead of their time than anything that involves a microchip."
I call bullshit on this one, Matt. You can bet your life engineers looked forward to the day Rube Goldbergian electromechanicals could be tossed in favor of sleek, inexpensive microchips. Electromechanical controls are fine for nostalgia, but I wouldn't want to live in a world that resembles the film Brazil; a microchip-less horror with its ungainly, sprawling electromechanical devices.
"Give me a well made microchip any day," he said, posting to a forum on the internet with his iPad from an orchestra pit. God, I love the 21st century!
[this post was last edited: 11/3/2014-18:15]
arbilab
Well-known member
Do visit the other 'latest post' and 'library' links at the page bottoms. They give glimpses of technological development from a good way back.
mayken4now
Well-known member
Oh Lawdy
Miss Claudie. What a dream machine! Thanks for posting Mr. Webmaster. Great article of history.
Miss Claudie. What a dream machine! Thanks for posting Mr. Webmaster. Great article of history.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Frigilux:
I think what Matt is referring to when he is critical of microchips is not so much the devices themselves, but how this society deploys the technology.
They are now cheaply made by the lowest overseas bidder and installed in machines whose mechanicals are as cheap as possible. When one goes awry, the manufacturer has often either discontinued the board it's on, or charges a fortune for something that was cheap to produce.
If today's microchip-controlled appliances were built to the same quality standards as yesteryear's electromechanical ones, microchips would get a lot more respect.
Human - make that corporate - nature being what it is, don't look for that to happen any time soon.
I think what Matt is referring to when he is critical of microchips is not so much the devices themselves, but how this society deploys the technology.
They are now cheaply made by the lowest overseas bidder and installed in machines whose mechanicals are as cheap as possible. When one goes awry, the manufacturer has often either discontinued the board it's on, or charges a fortune for something that was cheap to produce.
If today's microchip-controlled appliances were built to the same quality standards as yesteryear's electromechanical ones, microchips would get a lot more respect.
Human - make that corporate - nature being what it is, don't look for that to happen any time soon.
Sandy ...
... Thank you. You said it better than I did.
I was also mostly referring to the ingenuity behind the mechanical devices. I think younger generations don't realize that for decades we had "smart" machines that were not computerized, many of which didn't even require electricity!
Another huge advantage mechanical has over electronic is its near-infinite user servicability.
You talented guys on this very forum are a testimonial to this; the fact that you can take a broken-down, rusted-out complex appliance that's been neglected for decades and refurbish and restore it to near (if not better than) factory condition proves that in this very important respect, mechanical is far superior to electronic.
Unless one knows how to fix circuit boards, once an electronic device dies, it's dead -- for good.
But with mechanical machines, replacement parts can always be found -- or made.
This is why so many 1940s- and 1950s-era automobiles are still on the road in Cuba.
This is also why until about the mid-'80s, every guy (or gal) who had the time and patience to learn could service their own automobiles (like the Cubans have been forced to do all along).
Today? Good luck with that. Even MECHANICS can't always fix these modern cars.
THAT was my point.
... Thank you. You said it better than I did.
I was also mostly referring to the ingenuity behind the mechanical devices. I think younger generations don't realize that for decades we had "smart" machines that were not computerized, many of which didn't even require electricity!
Another huge advantage mechanical has over electronic is its near-infinite user servicability.
You talented guys on this very forum are a testimonial to this; the fact that you can take a broken-down, rusted-out complex appliance that's been neglected for decades and refurbish and restore it to near (if not better than) factory condition proves that in this very important respect, mechanical is far superior to electronic.
Unless one knows how to fix circuit boards, once an electronic device dies, it's dead -- for good.
But with mechanical machines, replacement parts can always be found -- or made.
This is why so many 1940s- and 1950s-era automobiles are still on the road in Cuba.
This is also why until about the mid-'80s, every guy (or gal) who had the time and patience to learn could service their own automobiles (like the Cubans have been forced to do all along).
Today? Good luck with that. Even MECHANICS can't always fix these modern cars.
THAT was my point.
Cuba-They still maintain and operate a narrow guage railroad on their sugarcane plantations.ALCO locomotives-they were built in 1895.Still in use in Cuba TODAY!They have a machine shop as part of the RR that makes all of their parts.They burn cane waste in the engines as fuel.
To fix modern cars with more electronic systems-the "mechanic" now has to be an electronics tech.The mechanical parts of the car the mechanic man should still be able to repair.
To fix modern cars with more electronic systems-the "mechanic" now has to be an electronics tech.The mechanical parts of the car the mechanic man should still be able to repair.
Unfortunately ...
"The mechanical parts of the car the mechanic man should still be able to repair."
... it's very rarely the mechanical parts that fail in cars these days.
It's usually the (planned obsolescence) electronic gadgetry that is often ingeniously interwoven into other electronic gadgetry, without which the mechanicals simply won't work.
And THAT can't be repaired ... it must be replaced ... and usually at great cost.
Every time my dad takes his Cadillac in for something anymore, the repair bill is rarely under a thousand dollars. And most of that is actually labor, since replacing all this high-tech crap requires high-priced techicians.
"The mechanical parts of the car the mechanic man should still be able to repair."
... it's very rarely the mechanical parts that fail in cars these days.
It's usually the (planned obsolescence) electronic gadgetry that is often ingeniously interwoven into other electronic gadgetry, without which the mechanicals simply won't work.
And THAT can't be repaired ... it must be replaced ... and usually at great cost.
Every time my dad takes his Cadillac in for something anymore, the repair bill is rarely under a thousand dollars. And most of that is actually labor, since replacing all this high-tech crap requires high-priced techicians.
Mechanical parts can and DO fail in any vehicle-just how often._IE timing belts and chains.We can't always say mechanical parts don't fail.--Becuase they do.
Electro-Mechaneal vs Microchip Controls
Hi Guys and Ladies Frigilux [ Eugene ] got this one right, today's microchip controls are so much better and reliable than these earlier attempts at building space-age one button control appliances.
Hi Matt, It is ridiculous to use the example of 50s US cars still being driven in Cuba as evidence that 50s technology was better than newer computer controlled cars, those 50s care in Cuba probably do not have three orignal parts on them any longer, LOL. There are obvious reasons why some of these cars are still being used there that have nothing to do with the cars engineering and design.
Most problems with new cars today ARE electro-MECHANEAL in nature, it is not the microchips that are causing many problems, but rather little motors, solenoids, electrically operated valves, sensors and on and on that cause most automobile problems today. And cars today are far easier to fix that 50s and 60s cars ever dreamed of being.
And to anyone that has not seen the movie Brazil it is an eye opener about the hazards of too much electro-mechaneal complication in life.
Hi Guys and Ladies Frigilux [ Eugene ] got this one right, today's microchip controls are so much better and reliable than these earlier attempts at building space-age one button control appliances.
Hi Matt, It is ridiculous to use the example of 50s US cars still being driven in Cuba as evidence that 50s technology was better than newer computer controlled cars, those 50s care in Cuba probably do not have three orignal parts on them any longer, LOL. There are obvious reasons why some of these cars are still being used there that have nothing to do with the cars engineering and design.
Most problems with new cars today ARE electro-MECHANEAL in nature, it is not the microchips that are causing many problems, but rather little motors, solenoids, electrically operated valves, sensors and on and on that cause most automobile problems today. And cars today are far easier to fix that 50s and 60s cars ever dreamed of being.
And to anyone that has not seen the movie Brazil it is an eye opener about the hazards of too much electro-mechaneal complication in life.
OK, hold the phone.
It's tough to get much simpler than a pair of timer motors and switching contacts. Keep the mechanism greased and it will go forever.
Today's electronics are far more FLEXIBLE than the electromechanical systems, but they certainly aren't any more RELIABLE. The designer is faced with the challenge of interfacing high current, high voltage components (like motors and water valves) to a system that operates outputs at a nominal 5V level and only milliamps to drive. The interface has to withstand the inductive switching currents of coils and solenoids (on the order of several hundred volts for a 12V system). The circuitry must be resistant to water splash, a corrosive environment (typically salt atmosphere), be thermally stable (solder fatigue) when someone runs a hot wash in a 35F degree garage. Then there's the issue of component drift and failure- capacitors have a given life, and cost dictates the lowest workable ratings are typically selected. Then you have the issue of mechanical shock, 3-axis vibe test for the PCB, and all the other physical issues of making a PCB live in a damp, humid, demanding environment.
Not that it can't be done (just look at NASA), but poor board layouts, cheap components, corner cutting on drive ckts, low-cost interconnects and inadequate testing make this a hard sell against a mechanical timer. And then there's the firmware....
It's tough to get much simpler than a pair of timer motors and switching contacts. Keep the mechanism greased and it will go forever.
Today's electronics are far more FLEXIBLE than the electromechanical systems, but they certainly aren't any more RELIABLE. The designer is faced with the challenge of interfacing high current, high voltage components (like motors and water valves) to a system that operates outputs at a nominal 5V level and only milliamps to drive. The interface has to withstand the inductive switching currents of coils and solenoids (on the order of several hundred volts for a 12V system). The circuitry must be resistant to water splash, a corrosive environment (typically salt atmosphere), be thermally stable (solder fatigue) when someone runs a hot wash in a 35F degree garage. Then there's the issue of component drift and failure- capacitors have a given life, and cost dictates the lowest workable ratings are typically selected. Then you have the issue of mechanical shock, 3-axis vibe test for the PCB, and all the other physical issues of making a PCB live in a damp, humid, demanding environment.
Not that it can't be done (just look at NASA), but poor board layouts, cheap components, corner cutting on drive ckts, low-cost interconnects and inadequate testing make this a hard sell against a mechanical timer. And then there's the firmware....
